


I Didn't Deserve Her

by Dodi3



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Everyone Needs a Hug Honestly, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Lmao Adrien can read minds, Mind Reading, ends with angst, i wrote this when i was a young writer lmao, one-sided identity reveal, this was embarrassing to edit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29229813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dodi3/pseuds/Dodi3
Summary: In which Adrien can read minds. Of course, he'd use this ability on the love of his life. Of course, he'd regret it later.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	I Didn't Deserve Her

**Author's Note:**

> Another old fanfiction I wrote about a year ago!  
> The weird dialogue in ❛ ❜ are Marinette's thoughts, since Adrien is a mind-reader in this one.
> 
> Hope things aren't too confusing, and I'm gonna be posting old works like this until I finish what I'm currently writing. Enjoy <3

𝙻𝚊𝚍𝚢𝚋𝚞𝚐'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕.

At times they were soft and quiet, similar to the way pebbles rolled in a slow stream. He wished he could capture and play them continuously on repeat, a video he'd watch until his mind was only filled with _her_. 

He was a victim of her charm, his heartstrings strumming whenever she grew near.

"Chat, whatever you're thinking of must be taking up all your time, hmm?" Her head canted subtly, voice leaking of barely-restrained laughter.

The boy turned away from the midst of his dissociation, his irises having been glued to the reflective waters of the Seine. As their gazes met, his heart fluttered in nothing less than pure adoration. The warmth that seared his cheeks and painted his ears served as a constant reminder of what he longed for.

"It's more of a whoever, Ladybug." And since Adrien was donning that oh-so-recognizable mask, he had to add something more. "In fact, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that a very special red heroine is on my mind."

_❛God, you never stop.❜_

It took every atom within him to hold off the smirk that threatened to split his face. It was difficult, letting her witty comments pass by untouched.

He watched Ladybug roll her eyes, moving away from him to settle on the eaves of the roof they had perched on. Her hands rested in her lap, the tight curl of her fingers and her downturned brow betraying her mood.

"Something up, M'lady?"

_❛What? How do you always know?❜_

"It's nothing much, Chat. Just some everyday worries." The words came with finality, trying to end that conversation there. But if the ravenette thought he would be convinced so easily, she was mistaken. 

An exaggerated sigh escaped his lips as he sauntered over to his partner. Lowering himself to her level, not quite sitting beside her, his claws gently rubbed against the underside of her chin. 

She raised an eyebrow, pushing his hand away. "Are you serious? This again Chat? I'm not a cat, in case you haven't noticed."

_❛You're not getting the satisfaction this time.❜_

The unsaid challenge caused a grin to alight his features. Raising his hand just above her head in feigned threat, he watched on as her expression remained at a deadpan. 

"Confess and I just might make things easier on you." 

"And if I refuse?"

Adrien didn't waste a moment in catching her unprepared, his fingers running up her sides, poking her through the dappled spandex that cloaked her. The choked sound of her laughter blessed his ears, encouraging him to continue his merciless onslaught.

Ladybug tried to squirm out of his grasp, unsuccessful even as she shoved at his chest, her blows barely making a dent in the suit.

He stopped as quickly as he started, backing away to let her regain the breaths she had lost. The blonde let a smug grin shape his face as the spotted heroine finally picked herself up from the roof she had collapsed on, her cheeks dipped in a gorgeous rose tint.

"What a _purr-_ carious situation you're in, M'lady." The syllables rolled off his tongue, and he ignored the withering glare he got in return.

"That was evil." 

"And that was only the trial. Now please Ladybug, something's clearly bothering you. We're partners, remember? I'm always gonna be there for you, through thick and thin." He lowered himself from the crouch he was in to sit next to her, Ladybug too occupied with whatever had polluted her thoughts to notice. All that came up when he tried to read her was empty static; probably caused by the thickening cloud of her emotions.

Adrien didn't need to look at the heroine to know that his words had her gears turning. She finally turned to him, a spurious smile darkening her features. 

"It's just been a...stressful day." She started. "I left home for patrol early just to think, you know? And I've realized how difficult it is to be us. I find myself questioning everything; my duties, the people I'm supposed to protect, you. Sometimes I lay awake in bed, wondering if I could just stop. Stop being Ladybug all together. I'm so sick of worrying over what Hawkmoth is doing, spending days just waiting for him to attack because I don't have a plan in mind."

The heroine's last words were riddled with spite, and reasonably so. Her eyebrows furrowed, the veneer of serenity she used to have cracking at the edges.

_❛Maybe I'm thinking about it too much.❜_

In disagreement with her thoughts, Adrien opened his mouth to reply. However, quickly realizing his mistake, he masked the few words he had managed to babble out with a strangled cough. It earned him an eyebrow raise from Ladybug, but she didn't question it further, already used to his weird antics.

Clearing his throat, he tried again with a different response. "Ladybug, you are the best candidate for the job. Master Fu picked you because he saw potential. And what luck we'd have if things were easy," He locked eyes with her in a determined glare, not directly mad at her, but the never-ending battle they'd been clawing through for years now. "But they aren't, and they might not be for a long time."

Both human and feline ears pricked up in alarm after watching her head dip lower and her eyes dim in nothing less than hopelessness. 

"That's why there's two of us, M'lady." He continued hastily, in hopes to lift her spirits before they festered into something worse. "We carry the burden together. Don't forget why you, of all the possibles, were chosen. Paris needs your confidence, adaptability, and wits more than ever, considering how Hawkmoth is up to something big. I know I may not be 100% serious all the time, but I hope you trust me enough to help you whenever I can, whether it's superhero business or not."

_❛...You've always had my trust.❜_

He reveled in her silent praise, the small beginnings of a grin breaking through his solemn facade. 

"Thanks for the pep talk, Chat...I really needed to hear it from somebody."

_❛You're an amazing **friend**.❜ _

He swore his internal systems stopped working at her remark. For some reason, that single word seemed to stand out from the others. Maybe it was because he'd used it plenty of times himself, but being a 'friend' hit differently.

A pang of hurt rattled his core, reality bouncing within the walls of his mind. A friend. He didn't want to simply be a 'friend'. Did she not feel the butterflies fluttering in her chest, the same way he did when he saw her? Did she not have the constant want to be near him? Like he did for her?

He turned to Ladybug, whose eyes were set on his. When the silence got too long, he'd usually use a pun to shatter it and return to their playful banter. But he kept his gaze locked on hers. 

Her eyes – an unending abyss of blue – maintained their contact in a silent challenge. It was rare times like these where she'd simply use the passing time to truly take him in, and he could tell, by the way her eyes shifted to a more pensive mood. 

Often, Adrien wondered how things would be if she was the mind-reader and he was not. It'd make his feelings less conflicted, he was sure. 

"Chat, is everything okay?" Her voice echoed with a gentle fondness he could only compare to the sound of wind chimes. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." The lie only fed the burgeoning storm inside his head. Yet Adrien hid his true thoughts behind a synthetic smile, perfected by years of modeling. "I was just thinking about how _purr_ -fectly the sunset illuminates your face."

As he knew she would, Ladybug's arms folded over her chest, face contorting into an unamused expression.

_❛His puns are the worst. How does he do it?❜_

And usually, he'd use that as an excuse to tease her even further. It wasn't one of those days, however, as the budding question about their relationship conquered most of his mind.

He almost forgot to throw a farewell her way as she mentioned something about having to go home. Adrien watched her departing figure, his claws digging into the material of the roof now that he was alone. 

It was frustrating, mindlessly wondering if Ladybug housed any genuine feelings for him. 

Adrien remembered Nino saying something once about love taking time. The boy knew waiting would've been the obvious (yet grueling) choice, but what if he wanted to speed up the process?

What he'd been reading from Ladybug was basic; he could only mind-read what she left unguarded. It'd take much more from him to reach her deeper thoughts. 

So, an idea struck him, a sensation just as striking as thunder. He'd try – and even go as far to consider it his personal mission – to win her over. Surely with enough mindpower and his charming personality, she'd have to fall for him eventually. 

Adrien's gaze flitted to the avenue he'd last seen Ladybug in, determination rekindling the moribund fire in his heart. 

———————————————

𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜. 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜. 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜.

𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠. 

Of all the places he thought his feet would take him, he wasn't surprised to meet the Boulangerie Patisserie. Adrien had been going there a lot lately, ever since he discovered Ladybug inhabited it. 

An endless mountain of lies awaited the blond at home, and while he knew the consequences would bite him later, his end goal remained. He had to be here, no matter what his father said.

Shifting the small box in his hands, Adrien loitered at the door, questioning how many more visits it'd take for the Dupain-Chengs to finally deny him entry. It wasn't the first time he arrived bearing gifts, but his face grew warm all the same.

Plagg, having decided that Adrien wasn't going to make a move anytime soon, nipped him from the pocket of his sweater. The boy released a low hiss in warning, one the kwami ignored.

"You're gonna have to move sometime. And I'd prefer you do it now." His scratchy tone sounded muffled from the inner workings of the cloth, but the threat embedded within was clear. 

"Maybe I'll just starve you for a few hours..." Adrien thought aloud, snickering when he heard the cat shuffle angrily in his pocket.

"Don't you dar-"

Rallying some weak form of his courage (and cutting off Plagg), he plodded through the door, the contents of his box shifting within its enclosure. A little bell rang as he eased the bakery door open, the melodic chime eradicating his final chances of turning back.

"Adrien!" He jumped at the familiar, deep voice. No matter how many times Adrien heard him, Tom never failed to surprise. The burly man's arms wrapped around his waist in an embrace, and if he had been an intruder, he was sure Tom could crack his ribs. "How are you, son?"

**Son**. A term hardly used by his own father, so hearing the words come out of M. Dupain-Cheng's mouth was a heartwarming treat. 

As much as he would've loved to revel in the pleasantries of such names, it was hard to breathe with Marinette's father so tightly squeezing him. Her room wasn't too far away...

"Tom! Can't you see the boy's dying?" Sabine rushed to his rescue from the back of the store, amusement riddled in her gaze. 

"What? No he isn-" The taller man paused to observe the recipient of his hug, currently pale and struggling to hold together a tight grin. "Oh."

After being released from his grip, Adrien quickly gathered his bearings. Tom had nearly squeezed him to death, but the fact that someone even cared enough to embrace him in such a way made him ignore that thought.

"Good morning, Mme. and M. Dupain-Cheng!" He turned to the latter, who adorned a rueful expression, "And I'm doing well, thanks for asking."

Sabine eyed the box in his hands, a shrewd smile telling her all she needed to know. Her husband soon caught on, forming a similar look.

"Marinette's up in her room, Adrien. Don't be too troublesome, okay?" The words came in a chipper tone, laced with teasing.

Clueless of any other way to react, he nodded dumbly, which seemed to please the petite woman. 

He presented her his best grin before exiting through the door leading to the family's living room. Adrien climbed the stairs slower than normal, gripping the cardboard in his hands similar to a lifeline. 

Why was he so nervous? Was it because it was Marinette? Or maybe due to the fact that he was invading her most personal thoughts to become something...more? Would she be mad if he told her?

"That was very rude of you, you know. Cutting me off like that, and threatening to starve me of my cheese! Do you know how important it is I'm fed my supplements? So I don't die??"

He exhaled breathily at his kwami's exaggerated tone, dramatic as always. "I think you can live a few hours, Plagg."

The blond wished he had taken things a little slower, because now the living room door was in his sights. His kwami wordlessly phased through the closed aperture, probably to see his other half.

Well, if Plagg could do it, then so could he.

The door squeaked on its hinges as his fingers twisted and pushed on the round knob, his eyes flickered shut as if he expected Marinette to appear then and there. Of course, she wasn't, cooped in her room as Sabine had mentioned. 

Even while he was the only one present in the room, it still radiated a palpable warmth. The few strands of sunlight that had managed to escape the misty clouds alighted on the sill. A teakwood scent flooded his nostrils, the source coming from candles perched on the windowsill. 

The woody, lavender savor was delicate. Not too permeating, but just enough to mesmerize, like a siren at sea.

And Adrien would've been there for hours, if not for the rattling thud he heard from Marinette's room. 

Now with a burgeoning sense of curiosity replacing his fears, he crawled up the steps leading to her room. An ear to her trapdoor, Adrien could faintly hear frustrated groans and dim mutterings that so clearly spoke of /Marinette/.

Adrien knocked on her door twice before opening it, hoping he wasn't intruding on anything private.

"Hey Dad, everything's fin—ADRIEN?!" 

"...Should I be offended?" He laughed, waggling his eyebrows in such a Chat-like manner he was almost surprised she hadn't figured him out yet. 

_❛Where did he even come from?❜_

"Ugh." The ravenette sounded annoyed but her face (and her thoughts) betrayed her true feelings. No matter how she felt, she still walked over to lend him a hand up into her room.

_❛Welcome to my pigsty of a room...❜_ Came her sarcastic remark.

Eyeing her desk, Adrien immediately saw what had caused the din from before. A stack of what looked to be supplies had toppled over from a bigger box. Sequins, buttons, left-over fabrics...he recognized some items, because he'd seen them used during his modeling career.

"What are you holding there?" 

The aspiring fashion designer had her eyes on the box in his hands, her interest never clearer.

"A cardboard box." The glare she sent him erased any doubts of her identity as Ladybug. 

"Haha. Is this another 'gift' of yours? Seriously Adrien, you really don't need to. I love them, I really do, but the lengths you take to get these seem really far. What convinced you to start doing this anyways?"

The words were on the tip of his tongue, the ones that would completely expose him, threatening to spill over like a wave. But he didn't. He couldn't let a drop fall...because he was scared of what would happen after.

"I like giving you gifts."

_❛Definitely hiding something.❜_

"Oh, well...thanks, Adrien." Inwardly, she immediately shot down his reply, but he was glad the ravenette didn't prod any further. 

The mood grew awkward, seconds stretching into minutes, and the blonde yearned to stop it. So he sauntered over to her desk, tiptoeing around the dropped supplies on the floor. He set the package on her desk, noting the multitude of sketches strewn across it. 

Dresses, hats, suits, no possibility seemed to be left untouched. He almost wished Marinette worked for his father's company, just so he could try out her designs.

It wouldn't be a complete lie if he wanted to keep her close as well.

She released a nervous cough, Adrien's eyes having lingered on her sketches far too long for her liking. "Any reason specifically for being here, Adrien?"

_'Nothing except for trying to woo you.'_ The thought flashed through his mind.

But he didn't want her to know that. At least, not yet. "Well right now, I'm helping you clean up." Stooping downwards to reach the fallen items, his fingers reached for whatever entered his range, delicately setting them back inside the box.

_❛You really don't have to...❜_

"Adrien, you're basically a guest," Marinette crouched next to him, attempting to push him away while also cleaning up. "You don't need to be helping me with anything."

"But I want to."

❛You...want to?❜

The girl paused for a moment, replaying his words. Whatever conclusion she'd come with delayed any further response, allowing them to simply bathe in the presence of one another.

Afterward, Adrien found a seat on the chaise while Marinette twirled absentmindedly in her chair. She was quite obviously avoiding the box he had left on her desk, a fact that made his lips quirk in a smile.

"Mariiii, just open itttt," He drawled.

"How do I know it isn't a jumpscare like last time?"

"Okay, that was funny, but this one's different. I promise." Marinette must've heard the sincerity in his voice, because she only hesitated for a moment longer before opening the package. 

And her reaction was so worth every dime he had spent.

"Adrien?! Seriously, Versace fabrics?! Do you know how much these cost? How did you even?"

_❛These are worth hundreds! Adrien Agreste you overachieving- Ugh...but these were exactly what I was looking for, and omg how does he know? How does he always know?❜_

The model watched her face jump from one expression to the other, a blazing warmth striking his heart with the precision of a sniper. It's what he'd been doing for months now. Gifts were only a small part of the process, and maybe reading her thoughts was cheating, but he'd cheat every day if it meant Marinette would smile like that. 

Slowly but surely, she'd realize why he was doing this, right? Yes, Mari was Ladybug and that was one of the driving factors, but he eventually came to realize all the other traits that made her _her_.

"Remember that store we went to last week? Your eyes gleamed when you saw the Versace and I figured you'd appreciate something new. Do you...like them?" 

Her face seemed to widen, seemingly surprised at the fact he'd dare ask such a question. 

"Like them? Adrien, this is seriously the best thing anyone could've given to me." Uplifted, Adrien parted his lips to speak, but Mari beat him to it.

"Now, stop giving me gifts! I've only got a few started, and you're not being fair." Her mouth dropped in a pout, only to be replaced by a deadpan at the snicker that came from the boy on her chaise.

A quick, witty reply came to mind, but it died in his throat when he grasped what she said. Adrien stared. She stared back. There was electricity in the air, a revelation shocking him more than her. 

"You were making gifts?"

_❛...I wanted you to feel the same happiness I do.❜_

The ravenette's thoughts only surprised him further. She nodded slowly, unsure of what the conversation would lead to. "Yeah, I've been thinking about everything you've done; how you've been helping me throughout the weeks, and not only with these gifts but just being there, physically and emotionally."

She only a few feet away but Adrien still wished he was closer. Close enough to see every freckle that dotted her cheeks, and count every tint of color in her cloudless blue gaze. Ones that seemed to reciprocate his feelings.

But they couldn't. She couldn't possibly feel the same way. Adrien was wrong. His actions felt...so wrong. He was exploiting her, using his ability to tilt their fates in his favor. 

He didn't deserve her. 

"I...I'm sorry, Marinette," He whispered more to himself than her, wobbling on his heels as he stood upright. "Something came up. I have to go."

"Adrien? You usually stay for a bit longer, is something wrong? If there's any way I can help, I want to." The ravenette arose from her desk chair to get closer to him, and he was almost moved by the genuine worry swimming in her gaze.

"I'm fine, really." In an attempt to throw away her concern, he showed her one of his best smiles. Contrary to what he wanted, Marinette's expression only darkened.

As much as Adrien's heart begged him to stay a little longer, he knew he couldn't. Not when he was using her like this. 

He left her room without a second thought. A muffled keen followed as he backtracked the way he came, every step chipping away another piece of his soul.

His steps heavy as he sent her parents an apathetic wave, he exited the bakery. Plagg however, proved to be unnaturally displeased with what he'd done, as the kwami appeared at his side a few seconds later.

"Kid! What are you doing? Your chance was right there!" He groaned in protest as Adrien walked ahead, his chosen's impulsive decision having separated him from Tikki. "Why didn't you make a move?"

"Because they're not genuine, Plagg!" The boy whisper-yelled, indisposed on having unwanted attention on him as they kept their route down the street. "I was only using my ability for my own gain. What if she doesn't truly like me? As much as I hate the idea, I can't force her to love me. I'm so...selfish."

Conflicted, the kwami hovered in front of the boy, his eyes narrowed in thought. "What if she WAS in love with you? And now that you've basically pushed her away, she's left to question your feelings for her?"

He paused mid-step, head rotating so he could face the bakery that seemed miles away now. The place stood out in comparison to the gray atmosphere above; the clouds as muddled as his thoughts. Adrien's eyelids fluttered shut in defeat, a broken sigh leaving him as he looked forwards once more.

"It's fine." A clear, blatant lie. "Her heart isn't mine to take." He walked down the avenue until the bakery was no longer in sight, a new, hollow feeling rooting in his chest as he finally welcomed reality. 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted June 28th, 2020.


End file.
